Margaret Hardie Hasluck

Margaret Hasluck

18 June 1885 – 18 October 1948

Ethnographer, linguist and archaeologist

Born near Elgin, Margaret Hasluck studied Classics at the University of Aberdeen and the University of Cambridge. As the first western scholar to undertake systematic ethnographic work, Margaret became a recognised authority on Albanian folklore and the Albanian language. In 1910 she became the first woman nominated for studentship at the British School at Athens, the international centre for studying Classics and archaeology.

In 1921 a travelling fellowship from the University of Aberdeen enabled Margaret to travel to Macedonia and Albania to undertake ethnographic fieldwork. There, over a period of 16 years, she tavelled all over Albania, often spending whole seasons in the remote mountains studying local dialects, culture and customs. She integrated herself into society and was one of the first ethnographers to focus on women, children and daily life.

During the Second World War, Margaret was forced to leave Albania on the eve of the Italian invasion. In 1942, from her base in Cairo, Egypt, Margaret was recruited by the British Government’s Special Operations Executive with the aim of encouraging resistance in occupied Albania. Moving to Istanbul she almost single-handedly established lines into Albania, recruited exiled Albanians for operations and provided and collated intelligence.